The invention relates to a sanitary outlet unit comprising an outlet fitting which has at least one water outlet and comprising at least one aeration device which is provided for aerating the water jet and is arranged upstream of the at least one water outlet at a distance therefrom in the direction of flow, and comprising at least one valve part which regulates the inflow from at least one water line to the water outlet.
Outlet units are already known in which a jet regulator is arranged in the region of the water outlet and is intended to aerate the water jet emerging from the water outlet and to form it into a homogeneous sparkling, soft water jet. To this end, the jet regulator housing of the previously known jet regulators is provided with a jet splitter, which is usually configured as a perforated plate and downstream of which there are provided a homogenizing device and, if appropriate, a flow straightener. The jet regulator housing of the previously known jet regulators has aeration openings in the region of the homogenizing device which serve as an aeration device for aerating the water jet which has momentarily been split into individual jets by means of the jet splitter (cf. DE-A-30 00 799). The previously known jet regulators are inserted with the jet regulator housing thereof into an outlet mouthpiece, which can be fastened releasably to the fitting outlet by means of a screw connection.
The outlet mouthpiece required for mounting the previously known jet regulators determines the form of sanitary outlet fittings in the region of the fitting outlet. There is an increasing desire, however, to design unconventional and esthetically demanding outlet fittings.
DE 1 220 345 A discloses an extendible swivel arm. Such extending swivel arms usually have an air admixture device. In the case of these extendible swivel arms, it is not possible for a conventional jet regulator to be screwed onto the outlet end, since the backpressure could lead to automatic extension of the extendible swivel arm and to leakages. In the case of such telescopic swivel arms, the jet regulator is therefore fastened to the assembly-side arm portion, with the required intake of air then taking place there. However, such extendible swivel arms are frequently mounted in such a way that the swivel pipe lies over the faucet, in order to compensate for an insufficient height of the faucet over the drainage basin. In the case of the extending swivel arm previously known from DE 1 220 345 A, therefore, leakage is counteracted by the specific arrangement of the air antry openings at the outlet end or close to the outlet end, where this swivel arm previously known from DE 1 220 345 A presupposes that the water outlet is always arranged underneath the air entry opening, in order to prevent the water which remains in the water outlet from running out through the air entry openings when the faucet is closed.
In addition, DE 10 2006 021 801 A1 also discloses an outlet unit, in the case of which an aeration device is arranged over the course of the outlet fitting in such a manner that an opening, which may be undesirable with respect to the visual design of the fitting, is provided in the fitting for external aeration. In addition, problems in relation to leaktightness may occur with the fittings in question on diaphragms and valves, in particular if, for example, a valve does not close completely against the hydrostatic pressure of the water from the return.
U.S. 2007/0252022 A1 has already previously disclosed a sprayhead which is connected to a pull-out kitchen fitting via a flexible hose line. The previously known sprayhead has a valve part 20, which is in the form of a two-way valve and on which the user can select and set either an aerated water jet or else an annular spray jet with the aid of an actuator 120. Whereas the aerated jet is generated by a central, outlet-side jet aerator 70 which serves as an aeration device, the spray jet guided over another liquid path in the valve part is formed by an outlet-side spray outlet 40 which bounds the jet regulator 70 and has through-flow holes 42. In this case, the two-way valve which serves as the valve part 20 is arranged upstream of the jet aerator 70 on the one hand and of the spray outlet 40 on the other hand in the direction of flow, with the jet aerator 70 and the spray outlet 40 forming one and the other water outlet of the previously known outlet unit. The jet aerator 70 and the spray outlet 40 which surrounds it specify the outer contour of the previously known outlet unit in the region of the water outlet thereof and can be realized expediently only as a sprayhead.